The Elf who saved the world.

Story about an elf who refuses to give up on a fairy Queen who has been put to sleep due to man's abuse of nature.

 

One dark night a tiny elf came creeping out of the forest in search of food. His own kind were starving in the forest for the keepers of the forest no longer existed and so the elves had no one to take care of them. They decided amongst themselves that they would have to leave the forest in search of the food they needed but they realised that they would have to be very careful as humans were notoriously difficult to be around. One never knew how they would react around the denizens of the forest.

This tiny elf, who crept out from between two large hawthorn trees, was the son of a prince. It was he who had volunteered first and when he did the other elves were amazed because he was so small. He was even small by elf standards. But he was the bravest because going into the human world was dangerous and only those with the most courage would venture into it.

While he crept about he kept a careful lookout for dogs and other animals who had been in human company for so long that they had forgotten who the elves really were. He spotted a house which had its lights still on and he crept up to it silently, for elves were very good at being quiet. He peered into the window and noticed that there was a fir tree in the corner, all covered with lights and glittery things.

‘How odd,’ he thought to himself, ‘Why do humans bring trees indoors when there are plenty outside?’ Shaking his head in disbelief he noticed the blazing fire. It looked beautiful and bright but was just a little too close to the tree for comfort. ’Don’t humans know anything?’ he thought with wonder. ‘Just one spark and that tree would be ablaze.’  He’d seen enough from that window and wondered what other windows would show him. He crept around the side of the house and tiptoed to another window and peeped inside. This room was dark and he could barely make out an iron bed and a side dresser. There were things on the dresser but they were covered in cobwebs and seemed not to have been used for a long time. He could see light around the crack of the doorway but it made the rest of the room seem even darker. He crept around to another window which lay on the other side of the wooden porch steps. He had to be careful in case the humans came out so he moved as quickly and quietly as he could. Looking in this window he saw that it too was in darkness but the door was open and he could see into the bright firelit room beyond. However, he still could see no sign of food!

He moved to the other side of the house and peered in a large window and into a large kitchen. ‘At last,’  he whispered and he sat down on the ground with his back against the wall to think up a plan. How was he to get inside?

Suddenly he heard the click of the front door and he shrank down into the dark shadows of the house. He heard the door click again and then…………nothing. He stayed still for a few minutes just to make sure the coast was clear and went back to thinking about the food and how to get it.

What he didn’t know was that the farmer’s daughter who lived in the house with her father and two brothers had come out and sat on the porch. She too needed to think because at this time of year she remembered her mother who had passed away on her sixth birthday. She was now 21 and spent her days taking care of her father and brothers. But she knew that she was meant for bigger things. She knew she had a destiny but she didn’t know what it was. Neither did she know how to find it. She sat there, in the dark, wondering about her life and how she could leave this place and fulfil her destiny. Whatever it was.

The elf’s tummy was beginning to rumble rather loudly and he was beginning to feel quite desperate. He had to get into the kitchen, and fast. He stood up and crept quietly around the front of the house again and right past the steps. But he didn’t notice Kim sitting on the steps but she noticed him! She gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. The elf jumped in fright and disappeared under the steps to hide. There was no where else he could go. Kim was stunned. “What on earth?” she said aloud. “Was that an elf? Couldn’t be, they don’t exist. Do they?” She didn’t know what to think. She crept quietly to the edge of the steps to see if she could see the creature who had darted beneath them but it was quite dark under there. Then she heard a tummy rumbling in the dark. Try as he might he couldn’t stop it. The girl tried not to laugh because she didn’t want to scare him off. “Are you hungry little elf?” she whispered into the dark cavity. Her voice sounded like grating metal to him and it hurt his sensitive ears. He tried to cover them up with his hands to block out the noise. But his tummy continued to rumble. He decided then that now was the time for him to be courageous so, with his hands still over his ears he slowly edged out from beneath the stairs.

“Ooooohhhh” Kim said with amazement. “It is an elf!” The elf cringed and tried to block out the noise even more. Kim looked at him curiously noticing his movement. “Does my voice hurt your ears?” she asked him with a whisper. The elf nodded vigorously and slowly took his hands from his large ears. “Ok,” she said to him quietly, “From now on I’ll whisper.” The elf smiled tentatively in gratitude. Then his tummy rumbled even more loudly.

“Are you hungry?” she asked him, but forgot to whisper and the elf’s hands shot up to his ears and he scrunched up his face. “Oh sorry,” Kim apologised making a wry face and then whisperd, “I forgot. Are you hungry?”

The little elf nodded miserably and Kim’s heart went out to him. “Come on then, come inside and I’ll see what I can find. Although I don’t really know what elves eat.” The elf looked suddenly frightened. Kim tried to figure out what he was frightened of and then realised. “Oh, its OK, there’s no-one home but me. My father and brothers are in town helping to put up the Christmas decorations in the town hall.” The elf had no idea what Christmas decorations were. He didn’t know what Christmas was but he nodded thoughtfully in response. He let her lead him up the stairs and into the warm house. It felt so comforting and warm that all his little toes suddenly tingled with enjoyment. He was still a little nervous but the room was so bright and warm that his curiosity got the better of him. He didn’t go too near the fire however, for only a fool would do that, but he crept closer to the tree to have a look at all the coloured lights which lay around its branches. Kim watched him for a moment until he remembered his tummy which he did when it rumbled very loudly. It rumbled so loudly that the little elf went pink in the cheeks. Kim laughed quietly into her hands. “Come on,” she whispered. “Time to eat.” The little elf left the beautiful tree and followed her into the kitchen. But where was all the food. All he could see were little doors everywhere. Kim went to one big white door and opened it. Inside there was all kinds of food and cold air rushed out in a little cloud. The elf nearly fell over himself. What is this? he thought in complete amazement. ‘Is it a magic door. Is this a magic place?’ Kim hadn’t noticed the elf’s reaction for she was too busy rummaging around in the fridge for something she thought he would like. ‘Hmmm,’ she wondered, ‘I wonder what they eat?’ She decided to try some bread, and then cheese, so she took them out and laid them on the table. The elf overcome with bewilderment just stood and stared at the fridge.

Kim looked at him and laughed to herself. “That’s called a fridge.” She said. “It keeps food fresh.” The elf thought this was crazy. Why would you want to keep things fresh. Isn’t it always fresh?

He decided to investigate the strange food that needed to be kept ‘fresh’. He turned the bread over in his hands but it felt cold and stodgy. He grimaced. “You don’t like bread Huh.” Kim whispered. “Cheese?” she asked hopefully. The elf had no idea what cheese was but he was pretty sure it couldn’t be edible. His tummy was really rumbling now and was beginning to hurt. Kim was at a loss to know what to feed him. She decided to open up all the food cupboard doors and let the elf show her. The elf couldn’t believe it. He had never seen so much food. ‘How can humans eat so much?’ He thought with a pain in his heart. ‘Now I understand why we have no food in our woods.’ And a teardrop rolled down his green cheek. Kim felt a sudden feeling of sympathy. “Whatever’s the matter? She asked quietly. “Isn’t there what you need here?”

The elf had not spoken until now and was overcome with grief. He finally knew why he and his kind were starving. Humans took more than they needed and it left others without. They took all the growing energy of the woods and plains to feed their own bellies without once thinking about how the rest of the world would feed itself. One by one the realisations hit him. All the land was for humans to feed themselves. All the trees were for human’s furniture. All the water, for human’s greed, poisoned. It was no wonder the elves were starving. All the energy was gone to feed humans and there was none left for the wild places. The elf suddenly backed away overwhelmed with emotion. He forgot about his rumbling tummy. He forgot about his need and he raced out the kitchen door, down the porch steps and back into the woods. He ran and ran until he reached his home and then continued running until he reached the King and Queen’s palace, high up in the trees. He hammered on the door, collapsing in a heap outside, panting and out of breath, the tears still running down his face.

“Whatever is going on?” yelled the king, throwing open the door. But as soon as he saw the tiny elf, crumpled and crying, sobbing his heart out, did he stop.

“I’ve failed.” Sobbed the distraught elf. “There is no food, anywhere, ever……” and he sobbed even harder.

“Come, come,” said the king, “Come inside.” And he gently picked up the elf and carried him into the tree palace. When the elf had calmed down enough the king spoke to him gently.

“You haven’t failed, grandson,” he said sadly. “You have only found the truth.”

The elf looked up through hazy, swollen eyes. “What……what do you mean?” he asked feeling confused.

“I want to show you something.” The king said and he took his grandson’s hand in his and led him to a beautiful white chamber. It was filled with gossamer white veils which fell in cascades around a crystal white bed. On the bed lay a beautiful woman with black hair that lay all around her, She wore a white fur-lined cloak with a hood and around her waist was a glittering bejewelled belt.

The elf gasped.

“Yes, said the king. This is your grandmother, the Queen of Spring, and here she sleeps. She cannot be woken until someone brings the sacred fire back to wild places, the wild places which no longer support us because the Queen is asleep.”

“But……”asked the elf, “How did she fall asleep? And why does that mean we cannot be supported and taken care of?” He just couldn’t get his head around it. He was still too upset.

The king tried to explain. “You see, many years ago, the wild places were tended by the Keepers of the Flame. They made sure that the sacred fires were tended, on the hilltops and the wild places. The flames kept the Queen alive for she is the Queen of nature. Without her there is no nature. When the Keepers stopped doing their work, because they forgot the old ways and were seduced by money and wealth, the fires went out and the Queen could not be woken.” He stopped speaking then, his heart heavy with sadness. “So you see, grandson, bravest of all elves, you have not failed. You have only found the truth.”

“But…..but, surely there is something that can be done. There must be something. Otherwise we will all die and there will be no more…….” But he couldn’t finish the sentence.

“Yes,” sighed the King sadly. “There will be no more nature and the world will eventually die, and everyone on it will leave.”

“Where could they go?” the elf asked bewildered. “Where could they possibly all go?”

“Other worlds, worlds not as beautiful as this one.” Answered the king.

“But they’ll only do the same thing there,” shouted the elf, “And what good would that do? What’s the point?”

“They would learn, one day, that they cannot take from nature all the time without destroying themselves.”

“And in the meantime, we have to die too, because they are greedy and stupid.” The elf was so angry now he could barely breathe.

“Yes,” sighed the king, “That is what will happen.” And he turned away from his precious queen and walked dejectedly back to his throne room, to think.

The elf shouted after him “Well, I don’t know about you but I’m not going to let it happen. Do you hear me, its not going to happen.” And he stomped back down the tree stairs and out the palace doors. “I’m going to find someone to bring the fires back and wake up the queen. You see if I don’t.” And reaching his own little house he threw open the door and slammed it shut again, shaking the whole of Elf Land with the bang. “I’m going to find a way,” he vowed and sat in his rocking chair, rocking all night, trying to think up a solution.

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

This is a first draft andd is obviously not finished but I would appreciate some advice on flow etc.